Documentation

Real-Helper User Guide

Everything you need to know to get the most out of Real-Helper.

Getting Started

Real-Helper requires no account and no sign-in to use. Download the app, open it, and you're ready to go.

On your first launch you'll set your location (county/state) so the app knows where to look up property addresses. After that you land directly on the Add Property screen.

💡 Tip: Allow location access when prompted. Real-Helper uses your location to bias address searches toward your area — so "3936 E 5th St" finds the one near you, not one across the country.

Adding Properties

There are three ways to add a property to your list.

Search by Address Free

  1. 1Tap the Add tab.
  2. 2Type a street address in the search box — you don't need city, state, or zip. Real-Helper uses your location to find the right match.
  3. 3Tap GO. The app geocodes the address and opens the property page.
  4. 4Tap Save to My List to add it permanently.

Use My Location Free

Standing in front of a property at an open house? Tap Use My Location and Real-Helper reverse-geocodes your GPS coordinates to find the address automatically.

  1. 1Tap Use My Location on the Search screen.
  2. 2Grant location permission if asked (first time only).
  3. 3The app finds the nearest address and opens the property page.

Use Share Extension Free

Browsing your favorite real estate site or app? If you're on a listing page for a property you're interested in, you can Share it to Real-Helper.

  1. 1On the listing page, click the Share button (box with up-arrow, or maybe a curvy arrow).
  2. 2When the Share menu comes up, find and click Real-Helper (you might have to scroll to the end of the row of app icons and open the "More…" selection)
  3. 3Real-Helper will open with the property filled in on the Add Property page; click GO to add it.
  4. 4Your property page will have the property address and a pre-created link to the page you shared from.

Your Property Page

Once a property is saved, you have a dedicated page to collect everything you know about it.

Notes & Photos Free

Tap the Notes area to type observations, questions, or anything you want to remember. Notes are saved locally on your device.

Tap Add Photo to attach photos taken during your visit. You can add as many as you like. Photos are stored on your device; premium subscribers can sync them across devices.

You can attach web links directly to a property page — the Zillow listing, a school district page, a neighborhood walkability score, anything.

There are three ways to save a link:

Method 1 — Add Link button, for any web page of interest

  1. 1Open the property page and tap Add Link.
  2. 2Tap Open Browser; you'll see results for that address.
  3. 3Browse to a page you want to save; copy the URL and return to Real-Helper.
  4. 4Enter a label (e.g. "School District") and paste the URL.
  5. 5Tap Save. The link appears on your property page.

Method 2 — Share Extension, for links for the property itself

The easiest way to save a link while browsing. Works from Safari, Chrome, Zillow app, Redfin, and many other apps. If a property is not in your list, you can ADD it by using Share Extension!

  1. 1Navigate to the page you want to save (e.g. the Zillow listing for a property).
  2. 2Tap the Share button (the box with the arrow pointing up).
  3. 3Scroll the share sheet and tap Real-Helper. If you don't see it, tap "More" and choose Real-Helper.
  4. 4If you already have the property, the link will be added to its page. If not, the Add Property page opens; tap GO to create the property record AND add the link!

💡 Tip: Sometimes, a website or app might give you a URL that doesn't contain a property address. When that happens, the Add Property tab will say "Couldn't figure out the address from this URL". If the URL looks valid, go back to the browser or app, long-tap on the property address to copy, paste it in to the Street address & hit GO.

Have an inspection report, floor plan PDF, or other document saved on your phone? You can link to it from a property page so it's always one tap away.

  1. 1Tap Add Link on the property page.
  2. 2Tap Choose File instead of entering a URL.
  3. 3Browse to your file in the Files app and select it.
  4. 4The file path is saved as the link target. Tapping it opens the file directly.

💡 Tip: For premium users, if you are going back and forth between iPhone and iPad, it's a good idea to keep files you link to in your iCloud Drive so they are accessible from both devices.

Mortgage Calculator Free

Real-Helper has a built-in mortgage calculator. No app-switching, no browser tab — it's right there on the property page.

Opening It

On any property page, tap the Calc button next to the purchase price. The calculator slides up instantly, pre-filled with that property's price.

Adjusting the Numbers

That's really all there is to it — it's already showing you a monthly payment. Change anything you like:

  • Tap 30 yr / 20 yr / 15 yr to switch loan terms
  • Edit Down Payment — the dollar amount updates as you type
  • Edit Interest Rate — or leave the pre-filled FRED average as-is

The monthly payment recalculates instantly. Scroll down to see total loan amount, total interest paid, total out-of-pocket, and an amortization chart tracing your remaining balance and cumulative interest over the full loan term.

💡 About the interest rate: The rate is pre-filled with the current nationwide average for your selected loan term, sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). You can type over it with any rate you expect to qualify for. Results are principal & interest only — property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and HOA fees are not included.

Property Info Premium

Tap Get Property Info on any property page to pull publicly available data — assessed value, estimated market value, lot size, last sale date, and more.

Data is sourced from public records and displayed directly on the property page for quick reference. It's cached after the first fetch, so you don't need to be online to see it again.

Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Public record data may lag behind actual market conditions. Always verify important details with your agent or county assessor.

Map View Premium

Real-Helper has two map views: an All Properties map that shows your whole short list at a glance, and an Individual Property map with drive-time overlays, points of interest, and isochrone zones for a single property.

All Properties Map

Tap the map icon on the My List screen to plot all your saved properties on a single map at once.

  • Each property appears as a navy pin. Tap a pin to open that property's individual map.
  • Your saved Points of Interest (My Places) appear as gold pins alongside your properties, so you can judge each location relative to work, school, or anywhere else that matters — at a glance. Tap the pin icon in the header to view or edit your My Places list.
  • Toggle between Street and Satellite view using the control at the top right. Satellite is especially useful for checking lot size, yard space, tree cover, and the immediate neighborhood from above.

Individual Property Map

Tap any pin on the All Properties map — or tap the map icon on an individual property page — to open a focused map for that one property. Three controls appear along the top of the screen:

Points of Interest

Tap POI (the Pin icon) to edit your Points of Interest (My Places). Each one appears as a labeled pin so you can see exactly how far and in what direction each destination lies from the property. See Drive Times → Points of Interest for how to add and manage your destinations.

Drive Times

If you have any My Places saved, a bottom sheet automatically peeks up from the bottom of the individual property map. Drag it upward to see the full list of drive times from this property to each of your destinations — distance in miles and travel time, side by side. Drag it back down to get it out of the way while you explore the map.

Isochrone

Tap the stopwatch icon (a clock face with a stem on top) to overlay colored travel-time zones centered on the property. The shaded areas show everything reachable within 10, 20, and 30 minutes of driving. It's a quick way to understand a neighborhood's reach — you can visually see which hospitals, grocery stores, parks, and destinations fall within your acceptable commute radius. See Isochrone Maps for more detail.

💡 Tip: Try switching to Satellite view while the Isochrone overlay is active — you can see exactly what lies within a 20-minute drive while also reading the terrain, density, and character of the surrounding neighborhood from above.

Power Rankings Premium

Power Rankings let you score every property on your list against criteria you define, then calculate which one comes out on top.

Step 1 — Define Your Criteria

Tap Power Rankings → Criteria. Add anything that matters to you: commute time, school district, yard size, kitchen quality, storage, neighborhood feel — whatever drives your decision.

For each criterion, set an importance weight (1–5). A criterion with weight 5 counts five times as much as one with weight 1 in the final score.

Step 2 — Rate Each Property

Open a property page and tap Rate This Property. For each criterion, give the property a score from 1–5. You only need to do this once per property — ratings are saved.

Step 3 — See the Rankings

Tap Power Rankings from the My List screen. Properties are ranked by their weighted total score. The higher the bar, the better it scores against your personal criteria.

💡 Tip: Rankings update instantly when you adjust weights or add a new rating. Try bumping up the weight on "school district" to see how the ranking shifts — it's a great way to test what-if scenarios.

Export & Sync Premium

Premium subscribers can export their full property list and import it on another device — phone to tablet, old phone to new phone.

Exporting Your List

  1. 1Go to My List and tap the ⋮ menu (top right).
  2. 2Tap Export My List. Your list is uploaded to a temporary transfer file.
  3. 3You have 3 hours to import it on another device.

Importing on Another Device

  1. 1On the receiving device, open Real-Helper and sign in with the same Apple ID.
  2. 2Go to My List → ⋮ menu → Import / Sync.
  3. 3Real-Helper finds the exported file and syncs any properties that are newer than what's already on the device.

💡 Tip: The import is non-destructive. It only adds or updates; newest data takes precedence.

Coming in Version 2

The next version of Real-Helper adds direct collaboration with your buyer's agent — built right into the app.

In-App Agent Chat

Version 2 will let you invite your buyer's agent to connect with you through Real-Helper. Once connected, you'll have a direct messaging line to your agent — no more digging through email threads or texts when you have a quick question about a property.

Agent Invite & Connection

Your agent will need a Real-Helper Agent account. You can connect by entering their agent code, or your agent can send you an invitation link directly. Once connected, your agent can see which properties you're tracking and send you information about listings.

Open House QR Code

Agents will be able to generate a QR code for any property. Scan it at an open house and that property is instantly added to your Real-Helper list — no typing required.

Want to be notified when Version 2 launches? Keep an eye on the App Store for updates, or check back here.

Upgrading to Premium

Premium is a monthly subscription purchased through the App Store. There is no annual plan — we think you'll only need it for the duration of your home search.

How to Subscribe

  1. 1Tap the Premium banner at the top, or the Power Rankings button, or the Map icon.
  2. 2The Premium features screen appears. Tap Subscribe at the bottom.
  3. 3Sign in with your Apple ID to complete the purchase through the App Store.

Already subscribed on another device?

Sign in with the same Apple ID you used to subscribe, and your subscription will be recognized automatically.

Managing or Cancelling

Tap the ⋮ menu on the My List screen and choose Manage Subscription. This opens the App Store subscription manager where you can cancel or see your next billing date.

You can also manage the subscription directly in iOS Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → Real-Helper.

💡 Tip: Cancel before your next billing date and you keep premium access until the period ends. There's no penalty or pro-rating — just cancel when you're done house hunting.